Wednesday, January 17, 2007

So by now you know that ESPN cancelled Quite Frankly (what am I the 10,000th person to write about this?), but I waited a bit to put this up just because I wanted a collection of S.A.S. quotes to go along with this eulogy. You know....something fitting for the show Smith once called a "Cross Between Bill O'Reilly and Larry King". Here we go.....

Before Going On Air:

"As a black man, the biggest nightmare is to be perceived as a buffoon, in any form or fashion. I'd rather have people perceive me as too serious, even evil."- S.A.S.

Al Jaffe, who oversees hiring of all of ESPN's on-air staffers, says Smith has "huge upside" and is "a unique talent. He makes people sit up and take notice, and not many people can do that. He cuts through the clutter, and not just because he's loud. He's water-cooler fodder, a lightning rod.""Quite Frankly will show viewers his full personality. It troubles me that he's always labeled as a loudmouth. That summarizes TV in a nutshell — people don't delve into the whole person."- Al Jaffe

"Yes, it’s true, and I support ESPN’s decision."- S.A.S. (Sure you do)

"I’ve also learned there’s limits to what I can withstand in regards to my schedule. Now I move on to future challenges - while enthusiastically embracing old ones like writing for The Inquirer on a more frequent basis."- S.A.S. (Sorry Philly)

"I did the best I could. "Remember, it was 'Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith.' The buck stopped with me"- S.A.S

"While Quite Frankly delivered strong interviews and discussion, this new role will provide a better showcase for Stephen A.’s impactful voice to be heard across numerous forms of ESPN media."- Norby Williamson (Norby??? Your name is Norby?)

"This is not an end for me. This is just the beginning. I’m just getting started.”- S.A.S. (Oh God.)

"For me it never has been about just being on TV. I'm about success." – Stephen A Smith

suc·cess-noun

1.

the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.

2.

the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

3.

a successful performance or achievement:

4. a person or thing that is successful:

Look I don't take pleasure in anyone not succeeding.....okay who am I kidding.....of course I do. There are people a lot worse than Smith, but none of them had an actual show. And none of them had a show THAT bad. So with that we say goodbye, but I'm sure you're lurking out there somewhere Stephen......ready to strike.....

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Comments:

SAS is annoying for a few reasons, but his greatest sin is his transparency. It's one thing to be the Angry Black Man on television -- that's fine, God knows we could all use a little more of that in our lives. However, SAS just tries too hard, and it shows.